Why Does Our Generation Love Superhero Movies?

Superhero movies have gained a tremendous following in the last decade and a half, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Extended Universe at the helm of this phenomenon but what makes these movies the staple favorite of our generation?

Is it the razzle-dazzle? The thrill to watch your favorite stars beat up bad guys? The jaw-dropping special effects and CGI? Or the glamour and the cool costumes?

Well, it’s a no, no, no and for the last one as well… No.

We know the glitz and glamour that comes with these movies but let’s dwell into this more and talk about the aspirational values which these movies carry with their larger-than-life aura.

Let’s talk about why these movies channel positivity and give us a reason to smile. I have my reasons to like them but here are some of the most genuine reasons why superhero movies are loved around the world:

#1. Humor And Positivity:

Rom-coms are the go-to movies for most people who want to share a few laughs and feel positive about their boring life but a couple of puns here and there in a superhero flick elevate its level to an unimaginable height.

Imagine 2 grown-ass men with God-like powers fighting it out and making jokes which are better than most comedy shows you watch on a daily basis.

Massive props to people like Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Iron Man and for the scene where he constantly teases Captain America on being told to mind his “language”, which has become an iconic moment in the minds of moviegoers.

#2. Moral Values:

I don’t know about you but Dragon Ball Z taught me more moral values than 12 years of schooling and 4 years of my bachelor’s degree ever could.

And coming to superhero movies, the trend is the same. These movies teach you that when your back’s against the wall, the odds are stacked up against you and push comes to show, you never EVER give up.

You fight and you fight for a cause which is bigger than your own self rather than fighting for vengeance or validation.

#3. Ethics:

Be it the largely successful Avengers franchise or thewidely polarizing Justice League movie which recently came out, superhero movies always establish a certain code of ethics where no matter what happens, they never torture the bad guys, work with teamwork and a set strategy to win and manage to have their ideals in place.

No team is a one-man show in superhero movies, unlike your college projects.

Yes, every team needs a leader but no leader runs the show on his own. A leader pushes his team to greatness and that’s what teamwork is all about. For all aspiring corporate slaves, learn this trick if you want to be a master of the trade.

#4. Female Representation:

No superhero movie will have a lead female character which will come across as a damsel in distress.

And that’s exactly what’s so likable about most female characters in superhero movies and why they appeal to millennial feminists.

Be it Scarlett Johansson’s brilliant portrayal of Black Widow or Gal Gadot’s astonishing performance in 2017’s Wonder Woman, female superheroes have had a massive hand in the success of superhero movies and when it comes to non-superhero characters, look no further than DC’s Lois Lane who is portrayed by the ever-so-magnificent Amy Adams.

Remember the dialogue in Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice when she meets the Secretary of Defense in a male restroom and he tells her:

“Miss Lane, with balls like yours, you belong in here”.

Talk about that swagger, eh!

#5. Self Belief And Self-Appreciation:

Nobody teaches aspirational values like superheroes and no type of movies ignite self-belief in you like superhero movies do.

Every superhero is generally portrayed as a man or woman who, by the circumstances around him/her realizes that s/he needs to change the system and fight for what’s right and that’s a feeling which money can’t buy.

No superhero becomes a superhero to be a public figure or a movie star, they become one because they believe in themselves and they make us believe that even guys like Batman who is supposed to be merely a rich spoilt brat becomes a man greater than himself in times of adversity.

The underlying messages which they teach us to play like a team, work with honesty and to always take the right way to do things are not the kind of lessons you can imbibe in a child by forcing them down his throat.

A visual medium is always a great influencer and that’s what these superhero movies bring to the table.

Between all the la-di-da grandeur and the crazy outfits and stunts, there is a simple message which asks you to simply be the best version of yourself.

1 COMMENT

I feel like this article lacks strong arguments, they are a mere repetition of discourses generated elsewhere. Dear writer, I don’t understand how you/anyone judge’s a film star’s real opinion just by their on screen performance or their choice of acting in a particular film. I want to tell you that you are falling in the same trap as most other people who fail to distinguish between offline and online identities of people. Your arguments might be giving away the impression that Salmaan Khan’s sexism and machismo is what you prefer or endorse more than the ‘on-screen’ feminism or social issues that the films attempt to highlight, good or bad I leave unto the audience. However, you might claim that this is not what you want to express through this article. This is exactly what we tend to do in our efforts to be over critical about the film, the actors and the discourses, you see the problem now? So what if the actors are not the real torchbearers of the social movement like you would imagine? Atleast, there is some conversation rather than no conversation and instead of just critcizing the depiction or representation and even failing to give the freedom of creative manipulation to some extent, why don’t we come up with solutions? Is there anyway you could depict the story of Lakshmi Prasad without focussing on his work and the woman’s problem more? If not Akshay or Aamir, who do you see as their substitute? Or do you aim to suggest that Bollywood should stop working on these issues and just create and celebrate hyper masculine on screen spectacle of the very famous entertainer Salman Khan?